Finishing Touches
by Jade Ferral
Summary: Buffy and Spike get home after the events of Repaired and have to deal with Dawn, Willow, and Xander's reactions to the two of them. Not so much Anya, though. She swears she saw it all coming anyway.


**Greetings everyone. This is a direct continuation of my fic "Repaired," but it wouldn't really work as being a second chapter so it's a separate fic. You don't have to read Repaired for this to make sense, but I think you'll like it better if you do. **

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><p>Honestly, Buffy had no idea how she and Spike made it back to her house.<p>

Granted, it did take about an hour, what with them stopping in every alley and under every bit of shade they could find, while they waited for him to cool down before dashing off again with Buffy pulling him along at rapid speeds while he hid under his duster.

But they made it back. They entered the house in the same fashion as Spike did on a regular basis - bursting through the back door first thing in the morning hiding under smoking material - the only difference being Buffy was with him this time. She slammed the door behind them and quickly looked to make sure all the shades were closed.

"What in the-?" Dawn jumped out of her chair, startled, and frowned. "Spike? Buffy?"

They looked over at her. Buffy imagined how they must appear to her- bruised, cut, sore, limping somewhat- knowing her, she'd probably assume they were fighting a demon all night in one of the cemeteries closer to Buffy's house than Spike's crypt, so they rushed here. She would assume that, right?

Dawn narrowed her eyes. "Did you guys have sex?"

Buffy froze. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Spike do the same. "What makes you think that, Bit?"

Dawn raised an eyebrow. "I'm not stupid. Maybe if it had been Buffy alone, and she'd try to tell me she fought a demon or something, it would have been believable, but you both here with those looks tells me everything I need to know."

"We both came here lookin' like we fought a demon. What's the difference?"

"Not those looks." Dawn rolled her eyes. "The looks you're giving each other. Now stop trying to deny it."

"We haven't denied anything," Buffy pointed out, speaking for the first time. "We just weren't expecting you to catch on so quickly."

"So you _did _have sex?" Dawn grinned. "Oh, my god! This is so awesome! So, you're like dating now?"

"Dunno if dating's the word I'd use, Nibblet. Who knows what your sister's opinion is of what we're doing."

Dawn's eyes came onto Buffy then, demanding and excited and anxious all at once. "Well?"

Buffy glared at Spike, instead. "I thought I made it quite clear what we were."

He shifted uncomfortably. "Sorry, pet- I didn't mean-"

"For lack of a better word, yes, we're dating," Buffy confirmed, and while Dawn let out a squeal of glee Spike stared at her. She gave him a 'did-you-forget-our-entire-conversation?' look in return, and he replied with an 'I-didn't-think-you-were-serious' one.

"See? See? _Those _looks!"

Spike chuckled. "Better get used to it, Li'l Bit. We never were very good at using our words to communicate." He moved to ruffle Dawn's hair, but she stepped back.

"Nuh-nuh-no. You are not touching me with those hands until I've seen you scrub them with soap. I don't even want to know what you've done with them last night."

"No, you don't," said Buffy, before realizing what she said. "I mean- you don't, but you shouldn't even imagine it. At all. It's not material suitable for anyone under the age of eighteen. Oh, god, someone shut me up."

"Gladly, luv." Spike leaned over to kiss her then, and her thought process started whirling. She was only vaguely aware of Dawn saying she would go get her camera before dashing off, leaving the two alone.

On the other hand, she was hyperaware of every action of Spike's, the way his lips moved against hers, the way one of his hands was creeping up under her shirt, the other sliding down her leg to locate the bottom of her skirt, the way his chest was pressing against hers, moving her back, back, until she hit the island and he was lifting her on top of it, and now his lips were on her neck, and his hair was so soft, especially when he hadn't had a chance to put his gel in it yet, and it felt so nice when she was running her fingers through it-

"Holy canoli! What's going on in here?"

The two burst apart as though electrocuted at a very exhausted-sounding Willow's voice. Buffy's eyes darted over to look at her friend - the one who did the spell that took her out of heaven, a little voice in her head reminded her - to see her standing there in the kitchen doorway with her jaw hanging open as far as jaws could go.

"Oh, goddess, did one of my spells do this? Because if it did, we're in trouble, my magic isn't working right now and I won't be able to reverse it-"

"No!" That was Dawn, yelling from upstairs. "No spell. Buffy and Spike are together!"

Willow's jaw, having been working toward closing after speaking, immediately slackened again. "Together? Like- _together _together? Like couply romantic I love you together?"

Buffy smiled wryly. "Not quite. Right now it's more along the lines of-" she lowered her voice so Dawn wouldn't hear - "frenemies with major benefits lusty passionate I need you together. But we'll get to the part you said. Baby steps."

And there Spike was, looking at her with that look again- that look that showed just how in awe he was of her honesty with her friends, and her determination that they _would _get to a better place. The look that showed he'd have never expected her to be treating him so well, especially after how she'd been treating him the last while. She sent him a look as well. Trying to apologize, again, for being so horrible to him then. He raised an eyebrow; she didn't need to apologize. She narrowed her eyes; of course she did. He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head; he wasn't perfect. He was a soulless vampire. He had lots to learn.

"Gosh, I don't know, you guys, you seem to be pretty couply right about now. What with the looks and everything-"

"I told you!" Dawn came back into the kitchen, camera in hand. "See, Buffy? Spike? Didn't I tell you? The looks!"

"Yes, Bit, you did tell us. Now why don't you also tell us what exactly you're planning to do with that camera."

"Take pictures, duh." She held it up. "Now kiss."

Spike obediently came to Buffy again, but she held him back. "Uh-uh. I'd like to know what you're planning on doing with those pictures first." She hopped down off the island to cross her arms and attempt to look annoyed.

"I don't know, frame them? This is an important moment."

"Well, I don't really think that-"

"Oh, let it go, pet." Spike grabbed onto her waist and spun her to face him again. "We have much more important things to worry about than Nibblet's camera." He leaned in to kiss her, and she couldn't bring herself to worry about Dawn or Willow, not when she hadn't kissed him for almost three whole minutes and they had been very much in the middle of a passionate exchange before they were interrupted, and definitely not when he was doing that tongue thing again-

"Are you _sure _this wasn't a spell? They haven't kissed like this since my will-be-done spell!"

Buffy broke away from him for just a moment. "That's not exactly true." Spike's lips continued to trail down her jaw and to her neck, and she had to repress a shudder and a gasp before speaking again. "We kissed like this last night. And at the Bronze after Giles left. And outside of the Bronze right after Sweet's spell. Oh, _god, _Spike." She clutched his shoulder for support. Her legs were threatening to give out as he scraped his teeth along her collarbone.

"Wow, you guys. Get a room. This is getting to be a little too heavy for pictures."

Oh, crap, Dawn was here. Watching them. Still. "Dawn, get out of here."

"I'm not going anywhere. I was eating breakfast when you came crashing through the door."

"And hey," Willow protested, "I don't really fancy watching you guys go at it against the island I eat at either. Go upstairs or something."

Spike growled. "Fine then." In one fluid motion, he bent over and Buffy found herself swept into his arms with him rapidly moving through the living room and in the direction of the stairs. They wound up making it all the way up into her room, but didn't quite get to the bed.

And, in retrospect, she thought later as she lay curled up next to Spike on her floor with her clothes - torn beyond repair - strewn all over the room, she decided that it was probably for the best. She didn't know if her poor bed would have been able to take it.

"Did you mean it?" Spike's voice cut through the shroud of haziness that surrounded her mind.

"Mean what?" she asked.

"Everything you said down there. About me. About…" he paused- "Us."

"Every word." She was surprised at her own lack of hesitation. "And every look, too."

He was silent. Instead he stroked her hair as a response, and that was all she needed to know what he was thinking. And with that, she leant back up and kissed him. He responded immediately, and they heated up again faster than she could have even believed. Her body, which she had assumed would be so worn out after last night, earlier that morning, and even now, was aroused again just by the simple feel of him.

His cold versus her warmth. Her strength and his experience. Their passion. Their emotion. They didn't need to hold back with each other at all. And every time, every single time, Spike seemed to know exactly what to do to make sure that she reached that peak at its maximum possibility.

He knew she needed it.

Somewhere in her brain she heard a knock at her door. It was very quiet and hesitant, and when it didn't repeat itself she decided that it must have been her imagination. Though why she would bother imagining things like that when she was currently naked in Spike's lap with her legs around his waist, she didn't know, but then again she imagined some pretty strange things sometimes.

"Oh. My. _God." _

Buffy froze, which frustrated her body in every possible way, but she was forced to ignore it for the time being.

Xander was standing in her doorway, looking like he was either going to throw up or pass out. Possibly both.

Buffy clambered up off of Spike and snatched her bathrobe off the ground nearby, putting it on as she stood up straight. "God, Xander-"

"Are they having sex?" Anya's voice came from somewhere behind Xander, and then she was squeezing herself into the space between him and the doorframe. She crossed her arms after straightening herself out, studying them. "I knew it," she declared. Then she turned to face Xander. "Didn't I tell you? I told you. And by the looks of _him-" _she gestured to the still-naked Spike- "they were in the middle of something. And you interrupted them. How rude was that? You hate it when people interrupt our sex, how come you think you can go around doing it to other people? Isn't there that whole 'do unto others as you'd have them do unto you' rule or something? Or just a rule that you should avoid being a hypocrite. You always tell me not to be a hypocrite."

Spike chuckled. "Anya, luv, I don't think he can hear you."

Anya looked at Xander more closely. His eyes were rapidly moving back and forth between Buffy and Spike, as though waiting for them to jump up and yell 'just kidding!' or 'fooled you!'

Buffy cleared her throat. "Spike, please put some pants on or something."

"I don't know, pet, I'm kind of enjoying the Whelp's reaction."

"Come on, Spike." Anya's matter-of-fact tone shaped her next sentence. "Please put your pants on. I'm sure Xander's never seen a man as hot as you all naked and sweaty before. If you're not careful, he might turn gay, and then I'd be very upset."

That comment seemed to radiate through both Spike and Xander, leaving them both sputtering with indignation.

"I'm not-"

"He's not-"

"I'd never-"

"You'd better never-"

"Like I would!"

"Give me my pants."

While Spike got his pants on, Xander seemed to compose himself enough to start speaking coherent sentences again, and didn't look quite as queasy. "Buffy?" His voice wavered slightly.

She crossed her arms. "Yes, Xander?"

"Can we maybe- talk about this?"

"What's there to talk about?" She had intended for her voice to be a lot less cold and harsh, but it seemed that her body was still pissed off at the whole interruption thing, and it had taken control of her tone of voice.

Xander winced. But only for a moment. Then his face hardened, and he seemed to gain his resolve. "What's there to talk about? There's everything to talk about! I thought we were over the whole vampire thing! Didn't we decide that they were a bad idea?"

Buffy evenly matched his glare. "'We'? When has there ever been a 'we' in this? Maybe a 'you', a little bit of 'you and Giles,' but never have I been in on any such decision."

"Buffy, he's a _vampire_."

"Thanks for stating the obvious."

Xander groaned. "Do you even remember what happened with Angel?"

Buffy saw Spike tense at the name, and she shot him a look to keep calm before responding. "Bad things happened with Angel because he lost his soul."

"At least he _had _a soul! Spike's soulless! No soul! No good in him at all except a little piece of metal keeping him on a leash!"

"Listen to me very carefully, Xander." Buffy's tone was dangerous, warning, and this time she intended it to be. "Spike can't go evil and lose his soul _because_ he doesn't have a soul. He can't get any more evil than he already is. He can only get better from here. And if you're going to bring up the whole no good in him at all thing, are you _blind_? Do you remember what he was like when we were dealing with the Initiative? Look at him then, and look at him now. Can you look me in the eye and honestly say he hasn't changed?"

"Okay, fine, he's changed," Xander admitted. "But that's because of the chip. What about when he gets the chip out, huh? He'll be right back to all his killing ways."

"I think there's something you're missing, Whelp," Spike interrupted. "I do that, and Buffy stakes me. You think I fancy that?"

"Buffy won't stake you," Xander spat. "She won't have it in her. Not after _this_."

"Bloody hell." Spike rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to go back to killing. I wouldn't do that to Buffy. I don't even have the chip out anyway, and probably never will, so why does it matter?"

"It matters because you're a vampire! You're a vampire, and Buffy's a Slayer, and those two aren't supposed to mix, especially in the physical way!"

"Oh, please, like Buffy and I haven't already been over this."

"Well, clearly you haven't been over it enough."

"She's a grown woman! She can make her own damn decisions!"

"You're just saying that because those decisions happen to involve having sex with _you_!"

"That's right, we were having sex. You know, Whelp, I bet you're jealous. Never got over her, did you?"

"I'm engaged now. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Or maybe I know a little too well. That's it, isn't it? You're jealous of me. You're jealous that you can't be me, and that's why your life is so bloody pathetic."

"Like I'd be jealous of a chipped, soulless vampire. Poor Spikey. All bark and no bite."

"_SHUT UP!" _

The combined yells of Buffy, Anya, and Dawn caused the two men to cover their ears. Dawn and Willow had made their way up when they heard the shouting, and had come in when Willow deemed it Dawn-safe.

Buffy was livid. "Look," she hissed. "I'm sleeping with Spike. Everyone got that? I'm sleeping with Spike. We're together now. I'll go yell it out the window if I need to. But that's the way it is, and if you have a problem with it, then maybe you need to leave."

All eyes turned on Xander. He at least had the decency to look a little bit embarrassed and sound a little more subdued when he spoke again. "I just don't want you to make a mistake, Buffy."

"Either way, Xander, it's not your mistake to make. It's my life. And if you even try to pull the whole 'you owe your life to us' thing, may I just remind you that you tore me out of heaven. All of you. Except for Spike and Dawn. How ironic is that?" She laughed bitterly. "The ones who love me most were the ones who didn't help bring me back. They were the ones who let me go and be happy.

"Yet here I am, back here," she continued. "Back here in the world where each day was a struggle to get up, a struggle to get through. Every day was a day where all I wanted to do is just go back to where I was. And now," she said, moving close to Spike and taking his hand, "I've found a way to make all of it just that much easier. Are you really going to deny me that?"

There was a very,_ very _long stretch of silence. Finally Xander spoke.

"Of course not." There was no more contempt in his tone, no more rage. Just love and caring and sorrow. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I didn't mean to attack you like that."

"It's okay. I forgive you."

"So… truce?"

"Truce," Buffy agreed. "So no more fighting with Spike?"

"I'll try," said Xander. "No promises."

There was a beat as everyone exchanged glances with each other, making sure they were all okay. Then-

"Does this mean I have to stop calling him the Whelp?"

"Baby steps, Spike." She leaned over and kissed him lightly. "Baby steps."

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><p><strong>Yep, so that's the end of this. I won't do any more direct continuations, but I may do some more stuff in Season 6 rewritten to match this AU I've created. Maybe. Let me know your thoughts! <strong>


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